Walking to school can be fun

Children, parents and staff from Kynoch Elementary School in East Marysville ran, hopped and skipped - some even walked - to school at the debut “Walk to School” event at the school Wednesday morning.

“This is awesome!” and “Wow, we even get bracelets!” could be heard from children, in clusters and two-by-two, as they reached the entrance to the school and danced to the pop song “Rock Star” by Smash Mouth.

“Kynoch is a lucky school today,” said Chris Hammonds, a third-grader who stopped racing across the playground long enough to talk about the day’s events. “I usually drive to school, but today my grandma walked with me. Her name is Patricia Hammonds, and she got coffee here.”

Volunteers and staff offered coffee and hot cocoa to adults escorting their children, while Marysville Fire Department-Cal Fire members and Sparky the Fire Dog handed out safety stickers.

The walk-to-school event was just a lead-in to the ninth annual Nutrition, Health and Safety Fair put on by the Marysville Joint Unified School District and several business and community partners.

“I’m really pleased with the turnout,” Monica Oakes, the school’s principal, said while running from station to station on the schoolgrounds. “We’ve been planning this since last June, and it’s all coming together.”

Oakes said the fair was very much a community event, with Yuba City Parks and Recreation, local businesses, law enforcement, fire officials and residents pitching in to put it together.

Oakes estimated there were between 100 and 150 volunteers helping with all of the stations, which included planting snapdragons and pansies with local Master Gardeners, eating lunch from the A to Z salad bar, and sampling new food items to decide whether or not to put them on the school’s lunch menu.

“This is pretty fun,” said second-grader Emily Dyer, sporting a blue rubber bracelet that read, “Kynoch’s Walk to School Day” on her wrist and carrying a plastic bag to hold goodies gathered throughout the day.

Students also got warmed up with activities hosted by the “Fruit and Veggie Bunch” from Willows. Razzle-Dazzle Raspberry, Lisa Lettuce and Peppy Pepper danced with their friends, Bouncy Banana and Husky the Corn, and encouraged the children to join in the “fruit relay races.”

“This is a fun day,” said Samantha Leahy, a second-grader who walked to school “with a huge group of kids and my mom, Trena. I usually drive, but on special occasions like this, I walk,” she said.

Each year a different school hosts the fair, giving students a chance to join in. Often students from other schools attend the fair and learn safety, cleanliness and healthy eating habits throughout the day.

Appeal-Democrat reporter Kymm Mann can be reached at 749-4707 or kmann@appealdemocrat.com.